
The Danish Way of Parenting Blog
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Discover the parenting secrets of the happiest people in the world. The authors reveal the principles that have been working for Danish parents for decades.
The Danish Way of Parenting Blog
2w ago
We all want our kids to be happy. And happiness is something the Danes have supposedly figured out. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and...
The post What is so different about the Danish Way of play? appeared first on The Danish Way of Parenting ..read more
The Danish Way of Parenting Blog
2w ago
The tiny country of Denmark has been voted one of the happiest countries in the world for over 40 years in a row. This...
The post The parenting hack you should steal from the happiest country in the world this holiday season appeared first on The Danish Way of Parenting ..read more
The Danish Way of Parenting
1y ago
Having lived in Europe for over half my life, I’ve seen many different UNESCO( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ) sites. From the Colosseum to the Loire Valley, to the Acropolis; a world heritage site is a protected area for having historical, scientific, or other natural or cultural features considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.
The other day, I was watching a sea of little smiling faces bobbing out of cargo bikes zooming all over Copenhagen, listening to the joyful sounds of free play in the park and the overall sens ..read more
The Danish Way of Parenting
2y ago
Q + A with Danish-parenting expert Jessica Joelle Alexander featured in ParentMap
For 40 years in a row, Denmark, a small country in the north of Europe, has been cited as having the “happiest people in the world.” What’s their secret? To answer this question, we turned to cultural researcher Jessica Joelle Alexander, a Danish-parenting expert and co-author of “The Danish Way of Parenting: A Guide to Raising the Happiest Kids in the World.” Alexander sat down with ParentMap to describe the principles of the Danish philosophy of parenting and how this powerful method of raising resilient, capab ..read more
The Danish Way of Parenting
2y ago
Michael is so much fun, your son says. But personally you think he’s a bad kid – what do you do?
“Mum, can Michael come home with me today?” Oh no, not again. Last time he was home, he jumped on the sofa, called your child a “moron” and was generally ill-mannered. But for some weird reason your child wants to play with him. Should you lie and say you’re going to be doing something else, or should you just keep your mouth shut and invite Michael home?
You should keep your mouth shut and let your child explore this relationship freely. There is a reason your child is attracted to “opposites” or ..read more
The Danish Way of Parenting
2y ago
When I married a Dane over 20 years ago and came to Denmark for the first time, I was a self-proclaimed “non-maternal person”. I didn’t even know if I wanted to have children. What I would learn from this tiny country in the north of Europe, famous for The Little Mermaid, Nordic Noir and Hans Christian Andersen among other things, would blow me away.
I wasn’t blown away by the wind, which in fairness was very gusty. I wasn’t blown away by the food or the taxes or the weather. No, it was the children who astonished me.
I would find myself endlessly observing peaceful parents and calm, serene ki ..read more
The Danish Way of Parenting
2y ago
When the pandemic first hit, I feared for how my family would cope in lockdown. I wondered if constantly being together might break us apart. Ironically, it was the Danish concept of ‘fællesskab’ (community) that held us together.Unity in harmony
Fællesskab is a huge part of Danish society. It’s essentially the feeling of unity that comes from being in harmony or a team. There are two kinds of fællesskab. One is the fun kind that flows easily. This could be the feeling that comes from playing a fun game or collaborating well with people we get along with. We are effortlessly part of the g ..read more
The Danish Way of Parenting Blog
2y ago
Six sentences to use when you are at a loss for words when trying to explain the coronavirus to your child.
At the moment, we are facing a global crisis with the coronavirus pandemic, which is causing a lot of worry. We, as adults find ourselves frightened, and we know our children are feeling the same way. Nobody knows the full effect and the consequences of this virus yet, however, we all know that it will leave deep scars, and result in a long period of re-balancing for the entire ecosystem. Unfortunately, Corona isn’t the only thing to worry about; every day, we are faced with terror, refu ..read more
The Danish Way of Parenting Blog
2y ago
As my family and many other families across Europe head into our second week of lockdown due to the coronavirus, it seems much of the world is following suit. In these challenging times, I thought it would be useful to share some strategies from The Danish Way of Parenting’s acronym PARENT that have helped my family, and hopefully can help yours should this happen where you live.
1. PLAY Stock-up on board games, LEGOS, arts and crafts, gardening ideas for indoor or outdoor, fun ideas for movement, cooking, baking, creating etc. You will have a lot of time on your hands and ..read more
The Danish Way of Parenting
2y ago
My children attend a big primary school on the lower north shore in Sydney. The school has a reputation for academic excellence, so the pressure to keep up is real.
The other night, as always, I asked them how their day had been and to share their favourite story. My daughter admitted she didn’t have a favourite story to share, but a humiliating one.
She went on to explain her experience in a class times table competition, where one child was pitted up against another in a race and maths sums were called out by the teacher.
The child who answered first got to move up a step. The first to reach ..read more